Andy worked in his studio with Rick Webster from British indie rock band Unkle Bob on this four-track EP for a new side project that Rick launched. Andy produced the EP and co-wrote some of the songs.

Eddi Reader, who collaborated extensively with Andy since first working with Gang of Four as a backing singer in 1982 and more latterly providing backing vocals on Gang of Four’s Content album (2011), provided backing vocals here too.

Rick Webster recalled working with Andy in a message he sent in December 2022:

“I’m very grateful to have spent time working with Andy and collaborating on the Tom Fool project. We met at a time when we were both having difficult relationship dynamics in our respective bands (mine was about to split up), so we unintentionally had this common ground and as those things played out, a safe space to vent about whatever was going on at that particular time. We became close, spending lots of time together jamming and writing in his studio in central London and when GO4 were playing at Hop Farm Festival he invited me to go along. That gig remains in my top 5. I thought they were cool as fuck, crackling with energy, charisma and of course great songs.

“Over that summer we would spend 3 or 4 days a week working together in Andy’s studio, culminating in the four tracks on the Tom Fool EP. For me it was transformative, Andy introduced me to a whole new world of possibilities; looping recording techniques, ridiculous microphones and compressors, lyric writing on the fly, logic pro, but most of all, he used and thought of the studio like it was an instrument. He was fearless, dogmatic, and determined but could also be hilarious and had no problem getting completely lost in 30min jams.

“I once accompanied him to a nearby local DIY store where he purchased a big plastic funnel, he was wearing shorts with a long grey trench coat over the top. It was mildly surreal walking about with him and this big funnel and just very funny and very Andy. He told me later it was for blending wine, if a wine was too sweet or dry he would blend them together and get it to where he liked it. In this way I like to think of him simply as a connoisseur just trying to make the world around him as brilliant and beautiful as he thought it should be. I loved being in Andy’s orbit and tried to soak up as much as possible. I’ll never forget the kindness he showed me and how generous he was with his time and just what a nice human he was.”

The EP is currently only available to listen to on Soundcloud.